Viper Mine

Viper Mine is an underground coal mine in Williamsville, Illinois, owned by International Coal Group. The mine is a room-and-pillar operation, utilizing continuous miners and battery haulers. The coal is transported to utility and industrial customers located in North Central Illinois, with shipments to electric utilities accounting for about 58% of coal sales. Approximately 61% of the coal reserves are leased.

City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) - the largest municipally owned utility in Illinois - is a major customer, with Viper Mine supplying 1.4 million tons of coal to the utility in 2010. CWLP's contract with ICG runs through 2020 at a cost of about $38 per ton. The mine has produced coal for CWLP since it began operations as Turris Coal Co. (owned at the time by Shell Mining Co.) in 1982, and ICG has owned the Viper mine since its purchase in 2004.

On May 17, 2011, it was reported that the the Viper Mine would become part of Arch Coal of St. Louis through Arch's $3.4 billion acquisition of ICG operations in West Virginia and Illinois by the end of June 2011. In Illinois, Arch also has a 49 percent stake in the Night Hawk Mine and has plans for the Lost Prairie Mine, both in southern Illinois.

Mine Data

 * Owner: International Coal Group
 * Parent company: International Coal Group
 * Location: Williamsville, Illinois
 * GPS coordinates: 39.947187, -89.497976
 * Production: 2.1 million tons (2007)
 * Type of coal: For power generation, Steam and Stoker.
 * Mine type: Underground
 * Equipment: Room-and-pillar
 * Number of employees: 254

Related SourceWatch articles
To see a listing of coal mines in a particular state, click on the map:
 * Coal and jobs in the United States
 * Coal phase-out
 * Headquarters of U.S. coal mining companies
 * Global list of coal mining companies and agencies
 * Illinois and coal
 * Proposed coal mines
 * Coal

